The official pardon document for Gabriel Sylliboy was installed in the lobby of the legislature and unveiled on Monday — the same day as Mi’kmaq Treaty Day.
Gabriel Sylliboy, a late grand chief of the Mi’kmaq, was convicted for hunting out of season in 1927. Sylliboy appealed the ruling in court, citing treaty rights but the courts ruled against him.
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Six decades later, the Supreme Court of Canada overturned his conviction. In 2017, Sylliboy was posthumously granted a free pardon, recognizing that the conviction was in error. It is only the second time in the province a pardon has been granted posthumously.
Now, the pardon will be on display at the Province House. Sylliboy’s great-grandson, Grand Keptin Andrew Denny, was present for the unveiling ceremony and said it will serve as a good reminder of the past.
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“When you look at the past wrongs that were inflicted to my great-grandfather, and the fact that the free pardon is going to be in the house of legislature is a very important part of reconciliation,” he said.
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